Two Roads Diverged
by MissMoonWillow
Summary: Lloyd never got a Gambling addiction, He's now working on a new book. Away from the lecture halls, he's now going to do what he's spend years learning to do, help people.


**AN: **I would give all the blah blah disclaimer, but I am really not even sure why I bother, I don't own anything... DER!  
>So for a quick word for you budding readers, This is an Alternate Universe, so everyone who is in Prison, isn't in prison...<br>Simple as that, I am just doing a what if, A big what if story with my favourite characters...  
>Enjoy and love.<br>I'd also like to send a massive thank you to my Beta reader/editor Kaitlin, you are amazing...

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><p><strong>Chapter one<br>**_saying goodbye_

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><p>Placing his penultimate diploma into a brown box, Lloyd inhaled while making a final examination of his office. An office that would soon belong to his replacement. He wanted to savour the moment, the times he'd spend here. Part of him wondered about how life would have gone, but simply shrugging it off before glancing around the bare walls. He'd already taken his books home, the posters on the walls, finally his college diplomas.<p>

"So you're really going?" A small voice spoke from the open door, a girl with long blonde hair, stood in the threshold of the hallways and office.

Lloyd flashed her a side smile, studying over her for a second, "What can I say Debbie, simply taking the things I've written about, putting them into practice for once." He tapped one of his diplomas, "practice what you preach." He exhaled stepping back from his desk.

Debbie still lingering in the frame of the door, she lightly swung her hips back and forth. Her eyes kept focused on Lloyd, an unsteady smile, but not quite visible. "You'll be missed Professor Lowery…"

Lloyd loved hearing that, not that he was narcissistic, just simply hearing someone saying professor, made him feel like a better man. "I will miss you too Debbie," He simply bowed his head, gave her a light tap on the arm, "Who else is going to remember how I like my coffee?"

"Cream, one sugar, hot, but not piping." Debbie laughed, "You know, I've been studying about the idea of the what if…" She trailed off carefully, she always felt herself not able to really be comfortable around Lloyd.

"Isn't that the concept of life choices?" He thought it over in his mind a second, "The idea we have many paths, but while we take one, there is still the path not taken…" He shrugged it off.

Debbie bit her lip nervous, "Well I've thought about it, thinking what would have happened if I didn't take this TA position." Her voice lingered in the air; she kept watching him with a mixture of admiration and adoration.

Lloyd picking up the box kept feeling the pain of knowing this was it, he was not a teacher any more. "Well I would have someone else helping me do my job, plus I'd doubt they'll get my coffee right like you." He winked, but felt bad about leaving her.

"Come on, you've have to have give it some thought, what would you be if you made another choice." Debbie kept following Lloyd down the hallway to the exit.

Pausing, Lloyd turned to face her; he watched her eyes for a second, "Well," His face changing. It was less carefree, but deep in thought about everything he'd done in his life until this point. "I know once, I was getting tired with my life, just bored…" He inhaled, "I went to a travel agency, and I looked at two broachers," He adjusted the box in his arms carefully, "One was to Vegas, the other was to Florida," He thought about it more carefully, "For a second I thought Vegas, then some reason I just thought I'd never really enjoyed Florida."

"You choose Florida over Las Vegas?" Debbie giggled, her hand opening the door for Lloyd to walk out into the quad. "I'd pinned you more as a black jack man…"

Lloyd let a small chuckle escape his lips, "It was tempting, and I won't lie." He stepped in front of the door holding it open, "After you." He gave her another smile.

"So, why didn't you go?" Debbie turned to face him walking backwards; Lloyd kept following carefully holding his box filled with diplomas.

Lloyd froze for a moment, lifting the box a little higher in his arms; he held it with one hand, brushing the hair from his eyes with the other before catching the box from falling. Debbie was quick to also catch it, her eyes meeting his slowly. "I don't tell many people, but my relationship with my mother isn't the best," he exhaled, avoiding eye contact as he straighten himself out, "She has a drinking problem, with how things work out, I know inside me is something," he stopped, "well something I don't want to feed," Feeling better, as he'd known Debbie for two years, knew he could trust her, he continued, "I avoid alcohol, smoking and gambling."

"What about sex, drugs and rock and roll?" Debbie blushed softly, she didn't mean for it to slip, but it came out so quickly before she could stop it.

Keeping a long drawn out silence, Lloyd kept his attention on Debbie, the way she stood, her fingers playing softly over the fabric of her light cardigan. Her eyes never leaving his face, he'd known for a while that Debbie had a crush, but he never expected her to speak out the way she just did. "Well, I've never thought to turn that down," he joked it off, a simple way to keep the air between them comfortable.

Debbie could only smile bigger, but even she knew it wasn't fooling him, her hands still playing over her cardigan, wishing for all hope this was all a mistake. "So, can I call you sometime?" Debbie sounded hopeful, her foot playing over the fresh snow, it was chilly, and her eyes never left his face once.

Lloyd pretended to think over it, he already knew the answer, but the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her in any way, she wasn't his student anymore, she wasn't even that much younger than him. "I'll see what I can do…" He gave one more smile, "It's going to be hard replacing you."

Debbie bit the inside of her cheek, "Well, I've learnt a lot from you, so I guess you're going to be harder to replace." Her hands moving to her pockets, Lloyd could see her body arching towards him.

Taking a few seconds to weight everything up, he glanced behind him to the parking lot, his car still waiting for him, this was the last time he'd see this building. "Well Email me, let me know how your new boss is treating you." He kept smiling, just wanted to keep everything calm, everything nice.

Debbie nodded, her long hair bounced with her face, her cheeks turning rosy pink, a mix of her emotions and the bitter chill on the wind. "I'll do that." She was prolonging the inevitable. She knew that she didn't want to see him go, but her hands moved deep into her pockets. "Drive safe."

"I will," Lloyd finally moving his foot to turn, "Debbie, it was amazing having you as my Teaching Assistant." Lightly leaning in, he placed a soft kiss to her cheek, "I'll never forget all the hard work you've done for me." He never was a fan of long drawn out goodbyes, in fact Lloyd hated the word, now turning away, he walked to his car.

Debbie watched, she should have gone inside to get warm, stand in his office for a while. Maybe get into her car and drive home to listen to Air Supply while hugging onto her pillow. All Debbie knew was she didn't like this.  
>Why did he have to go to Saint Claire's? She knew why, he wanted to write a book on how the systems in a metal health hospital worked. Debbie wrapping her arms around herself watched as Lloyd's car pulled out from the parking spot, driving away. Then her eyes stared at the plaque where Professor Lowery once stood, but now was empty. "I love you…" She shook her head before finally heading back into the building alone.<p> 


End file.
